Fortescue Metals : joins Lifeline WA for Pilbara operations mental health roadshow

Oct 20, 2020

Fortescue Metals Group (Fortescue) team members across the Pilbara are being encouraged to have healthy conversations about mental health, as part of the Company's annual mental health roadshow.

To mark World Mental Health Day and WA Mental Health Week, Fortescue's Chaplains embarked on a month-long roadshow across the Company's Pilbara operations, featuring guest speaker and Lifeline WA's suicide prevention community advocate Dave Kelly, to raise awareness of mental health and wellbeing and provide direct access to support services.

Fortescue Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth Gaines said, 'Safety and family are at the core of our values and the mental health roadshow is an important reminder to our team members of the importance of looking out for their mates and themselves.

'2020 has been a year of unprecedented disruption, especially for our fly-in, fly-out team who have experienced the additional pressure from longer rosters during the height of COVID-19 restrictions and East Coast team members who are temporarily separated from family and friends as they continue to work in WA.

'We are proud of how the entire Fortescue family has come together during these challenging times and it is our responsibility to ensure our team members feel physically and mentally supported at all times,' Ms Gaines said.

Lifeline WA Chief Executive Officer Lorna MacGregor said, 'After an incredibly unsettling year for the whole community, raising awareness of mental health issues on World Mental Health Day seems more important than ever. Lifeline WA is proud to join forces with Fortescue Metals Group in October to share real-life stories and encourage everyone to reach out when they need help.'

Lifeline WA provides all Western Australians experiencing a personal crisis or thinking about suicide with access to 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention services. If you or your loved one needs to talk to someone, please call Lifeline WA on 13 11 14.